STEE

HELLO,
Wondered if anyone has any contact with australian employment agencies, names and sites would be very helpfull. already found a couple on 'seek' and yell pages.
cheers for your help ............( still waiting to hear from you offshore lads )

STEE...

Gethy

Hey Stee

What i did was go onto Seek.com.au, searched for the jobs I was interested in they are usually advertised by the recruitment agency that specialise in that feild and their details are usually on the advert. If there is no email address just search on google by the recruitment name

Cheers

Navis

Hi

Yes I initially did the same thing although drew a complete blank. They were just not interested if you do not have a visa yet. Spoke to the guy who helped me with my RPL and he basically said just keep hitting the various agenecies and you might get a result. Seems even australians who are not in the country are not even given a look in!

The only one I have had a reply from so far is Time Recruitment www.timerecruitment.com.au who specialise in IT sector.

You can also try http://mycareer.com.au/

Cheers

Ivan

Rosscarbery

The agencies really don't appear to be interested until you are there, in front of them, with a visa. OH went to see an IT agency in Sydney when we did a reccie in November and the guy he saw was incredibly enthusiastic, but nothing really happened. There was one telephone interview when we got back to the UK where OH was told they were really interested and the next stage would be a video conference, but nobody seemed willing to set it up. OH got an e-mail the other day from the agency saying "are you here yet because the role is still open and the client really wants to see you". It's really frustrating.

Dorothy

I work part time for a recruitment agency in Adelaide and can tell you that in general, unless your skills are extrordinary then it's not worth your while to send your CV until you have an Australian address. If there is a position advertised then it's either available now or in the very near future. If you are still 1000's of miles away then it does no good to have you as a possible candidate. If you have a skill on the in demand list, you should have very little problem finding a job when you arrive. Some of do struggle, but that's more a matter of having the wrong skill for where they have chosen to settle.

My personal advice is to register with as many agencies as you can when you arrive. If they set you up on testing, ask for a copy of your results, make many photocopies and bring it with you to the next agency you go to. Saves them having to test you again and you the hassle of doing the testing again.

Alan Collett

Dorothy,

If employers are having difficulty filling skilled positions why don't they consider applications from those living outside Australia?

Is this an area where recruitment consultants could do more to educate their clients, and to encourage them to think laterally?

Best regards.

Dorothy

For the employer who needs someone either immediately or very soon, then it doesn't make sense to look at someone who doesn't even live in the country, never mind the state. It's near impossible to interview someone unless they are willing to fly over for the interview. I know there are cases where a phone interview will suffice, but really if you are looking to hire someone you want to meet them in person so you can get a better feel for the person.
Another problem is that a lot of recruitment agents have very little idea about the visa system. Whenever there is a candidate who is not a citizen come for an interview with us they always ask me to look at their passport to see whether or not they are eligible for the job they have applied for. Employers also don't want to hire someone from overseas if the applicant doesn't have a visa yet or if it's the wrong visa class for the job; e.g. a position in Sydney CBD if the visa is a STNI for WA.
I think it really is up to the persons applying for jobs to state very clearly in their covering letter that they have been granted a visa, what work rights they do or do not have (any restrictions) and when they intend to be in Australia.
You would be amazed at the number of resumes we get from overseas that don't have any of that stated. These are highly educated and skilled people, who would probably be an asset to the country, but without some idea of residency status their applications get passed over. Frankly, we would be more interested in a structural engineer from Germany if we knew he had the right to work here and intended to be in the country in a reasonable amount of time to start work.

Alex Hall

I'm currently recruiting people for my team (IT development) and so my advise would be:

1. Search on seek.com.au, mycareer.com.au and jobserve.com.au
2. Depending on what job industry you are in the job market is pretty strong at present
3. For IT I'd recommend agencies such as http://www.sapphire.com.au/ and http://www.realtimeaustralia.com/
4. Generally it is not worth applying for jobs before you get here, however does depend on the industry you work in - If I get any CVs from people not currently resident in Oz then it is unlikely I personally would progress with them.

check my post here: http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=430060

hth and good luck

Alex

Alan Collett

Thanks for such a detailed reply, Dorothy.

My observation is that there is a skills shortage in this country - or so we are always being told. Employers can't find the right people with suitable skills from the local population, so they surely have to think outside the box if they are going to fill the position, which in turn will (should?) enable their businesses to prosper.

As to timescales, employer sponsored visas take a few weeks to process if all paperwork is to hand and if the application is submitted to the Department of Immigration electronically.

I hear what you say about interviewing candidates, but if there are employers who can successfully recruit from overseas why can't others? Is it a matter of training employers to conduct a successful telephone interview?

In fact video interviews are now possible using Skype and a webcam, or other similar software.

Re visas: I find your comment surprising. Are recruiters not sufficiently resourceful as to find out which visas permit individuals to work? How can they be looking after their clients' best interests if they aren't even considering individuals who may be the best (or only) person for the job? Training required for recruiters perhaps .... and better communication with those who apply from overseas to more clearly identify their visa status.

Best regards.

Dorothy

I can't speak for all recruiters, as this is my first job working anywhere other than a healthcare setting. However, the agency I work for is rather small, although it is part of a network of small recruitment agencies. I think it's more a matter of them asking me (the immigrant) who they think knows all there is to know in the field of immigration.
Defo more training for the recruiters. Our firm is a very close knit group of people and we routinely do training and team building exercises. I think next month when we have our next meeting I may do a little presentation for them. Better yet, why don't you drop in next time you're in Adelaide and do some educating for us?

Alan Collett

I'll do that!

Thanks Dorothy.

Dorothy

You don't know where we are!! Seriously, PM me if you are interested and I'll speak to my supervisor about some training. We'll look at the budget for the rest of the year and see what we can work out. I think it would be a really useful resource for our recruiters.

Alan Collett

You have mail!

Best regards.

Amazulu

You raise some interesting points. When I was still in the UK I started contacting agencies in Perth. I got very little response and this is from agencies (engineering) that deal with a crippling skills shortage here in Perth. It's in their interest to look overseas. Only 2 agents showed any interest and one of these, Technical Resources, were really keen. They set up for 4 interviews for me even before I arrived and I literally walked into a job. They thought 'outside the box' (hell, I hate management speak!), they gained and I gained. I'm still contracting through them. Engineering agencies are still trying to deal with this insane shortage. Looks like they need to follow TR's lead.

scrubbedexpat020

http://www.jobsearch.com.au/